New Worm Searches Google For Victims

CYBERSPACE — A new Internet worm discovered today uses popular search engine Google to find potential victims and has caused what antivirus firm Kaspersky calls an “epidemic.”

Net-Worm.Perl.Santy.a, which targets the phpBB online bulletin board software, apparently searches Google for “viewfiles.php” which reveals vulnerable versions of phpBB, then launches an attack on the site.

“Santy.a is something of a novelty,” Kaspersky said. “It creates a specially formulated Google search request which results in a list of sites running vulnerable versions of phpBB.”

Once the virus has located its targets and successfully infected a site, it searches for and overwrites files with .asp, .htm, .jsp, .php, .phtm, and .shtm extensions. In their place, the worm places files which contain the text, “This site is defaced!!! NeverEverNoSanity WebWorm generation.”

Original reports suggested that the worm was exploiting one of the major PHP vulnerabilities announced last week by the open-source group that distributes the programming language, but the Internet Storm Center recently stated that the exploit lies in the “highlight” feature in versions of phpBB earlier than 2.0.11.

The “highlight” exploit centers around an SQL injection bug that allows attackers to arbitrarily execute code.

A search using Microsoft’s search engine for text strings contained in infected files turned up approximately 40,000 sites at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. The same search conducted at 12:30 p.m. revealed 133,780 hits.

“Santy.a is spreading rapidly and has caused an epidemic,” Kaspersky stated. “However, this does not directly affect users. Although the worm infects websites, it does not infect computers used to view those sites.”

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

FSC Drops Florida AV Lawsuit in Wake of SCOTUS Decision

A U.S. district court judge granted on Tuesday a motion by Free Speech Coalition to dismiss the trade association’s lawsuit over Florida’s age verification law, a case that had been on hold pending the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the constitutionality of state AV laws.

Ukrainian President Responds to Porn Legalization Petition

President Volodymyr Zelensky responded Tuesday to an OnlyFans model’s petition to decriminalize pornography in Ukraine, stating that he would wait for the legislative process to play out “in accordance with established procedure.”

Only Tax Deductions Joins Pineapple Support as Sponsor

Adult industry accounting firm Only Tax Deductions has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

Adult Empire Launches 'Conversations' Podcast Series

Adult Empire has launched a new official podcast series hosted by Nicole Chappelle and Charlie.

Sex Work CEO Launches 'Teams Plan' for AI Assistant

Sex Work CEO has introduced the new Teams Plan for its AI-powered, NSFW text generator, GPTease.

2025 XBIZ Amsterdam Website Launches With Call for Speakers

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the website for its annual European conference, XBIZ Amsterdam, is now live.

NC Governor Vetoes Bill Targeting Adult Industry, Override Possible

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein today vetoed a bill imposing new regulations that adult industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

25,000 Sign Petition to Legalize Pornography in Ukraine

An OnlyFans model’s petition to decriminalize pornography in Ukraine has amassed the 25,000 signatures required for official consideration by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

WannaCollab Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

WannaCollab has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

FSC Unpacks SCOTUS Age Verification Ruling in Webinar

The Free Speech Coalition conducted a public webinar Tuesday to help adult industry stakeholders understand the Supreme Court’s recent decision in FSC v. Paxton, and its potential implications.

Show More